The Chicago Bears got a hard dose of reality Sunday in Minnesota, and it came in the form of a 9-3 loss that exposed an offense Ben Johnson still has work to do on.
A week after lighting up Carolina for 59 points, Chicago couldn’t find the end zone against the Vikings. Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury certainly changed the shape of the afternoon, but the Bears were already stuck in the mud long before he exited. Through three quarters, the offense had little rhythm, even less efficiency and no touchdown to show for it.
Minnesota, with Brian Flores dialing up the pressure, made sure the Bears never got comfortable. Williams spent much of the day under stress and finished 15 of 26 for 138 yards with an interception before leaving the game. Chicago actually outgained the Vikings 297-246, which only made the final result sting more.
The issue wasn’t simply moving the ball. It was what happened once the Bears got near scoring range.
Drives that should have produced points fizzled. Opportunities vanished.
And against a defense that clearly came prepared to take away the easy answers, Chicago didn’t have enough of one.
That stood in sharp contrast to what Johnson’s offense looked like against Carolina. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai each topped 100 rushing yards in that opener, Williams scored twice on the ground and the Bears seemed capable of scoring in just about any way they wanted. Seven days later, the same unit couldn’t buy a touchdown.
Johnson doesn’t get to shrug this one off as a quarterback injury and move on. Williams was still on the field while Chicago spent three quarters failing to score a touchdown. The Bears couldn’t sustain drives, didn’t consistently take advantage of good situations and kept leaving points out there.
That’s where Johnson’s challenge really begins. He built his reputation in Detroit by finding answers when defenses tried to take something away.
His offenses could run it, throw it and punish teams for leaning too hard in either direction. Minnesota took away the balance, and Chicago didn’t have much of a counterpunch.
Nobody is calling for a full offensive overhaul after one bad day. But there has to be a middle ground between a 59-point explosion and a game spent searching for the end zone.
The next test comes fast. Philadelphia visits Monday night, and the Bears could be without Williams. Tyson Bagent may be asked to run an offense that couldn’t score a touchdown even with its starter available.
Johnson will need to simplify things for whoever lines up at quarterback. That means fewer obvious passing situations, easier completions and a real effort to get the backs involved before the offense falls behind schedule.
Chicago also has to stop wasting chances. The blocked field goal and the fourth-down sack against Minnesota were ugly reminders that yards don’t matter much if they don’t turn into points.
One rough outing won’t erase what Johnson showed in Week 1. But it does give every defensive coordinator in the league something worth studying.
Minnesota found a crack in the Bears’ offense. Philadelphia gets the first shot at seeing whether Johnson can patch it.
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Bears Fans Got One Bit Of Relief After A Brutal Week
The week did not get any kinder for the Bears after their loss to the Vikings, especially with the Caleb Williams injury situation now hanging over everything as Chicago looks ahead. At 1-2, the margin for error is already thin, and the next stretch only gets more important if the rookie quarterbacks availability remains in question.
Green Bay, however, gave Bears fans a small dose of comfort on Sunday by taking a 35-14 beating from the Falcons. Jordan Love never settled in, and the Packers defense had no answer for Bijan Robinson, offering Chicago at least a reminder that the NFC North race is still very much unsettled even as the Bears sort through their own concerns. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Head Into Monday Night With A QB Problem Nobody Wanted
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If both of those situations keep him out, Case Keenum is lined up to start, with Miller Moss positioned as the fourth-string option and an emergency backup. It is an uneasy place for a team trying to settle into a new rhythm under Johnson, especially with the spotlight of Monday Night Football waiting and no clear answer yet on who will take the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
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Richard Hightower and the Bears are among the teams watching closely, because the NFL may not let the tactic linger for long. League officials are expected to address the rule before the upcoming Eagles-Bears game, with the possibility that a tee could soon be required again and take away the edge Philadelphia just found. [Read more 🡒]